Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



H. BUCHNER.

Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms.t No. 114,259. Pafemdmay 2,1871.

itt.

HEINRICH BOHNER,

for NEW YORK, N. YQ

Letters Patent No. 114,259, dated May 2, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMIS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may conce/ru Be it known that L'HEINRICH BCHNER, of thecity, county, and State of NewYork, have invented anew and improvedBreech-loading-Fire-Arm; and I do herebydecla-re that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable othersskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l represents a side view of my. improved re-arm without barreland butt end.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail .side view of the spring-tube and breech-block.

Figure 4 is a detail plan or top view of the lock.

Figure 5 is a detail side view of the same, showing the opposite facefrom that which is illustrated iu Similar letters of' reference parts. Yy

My invention relates to breech-loading lire-arms, and consists incertain improvements thereon, which will be fully described inconnection with all that is indicate corresponding necessary to a fullunderstanding thereof, and then.

clearly pointed out in the claim.

A in the drawing represents the stock of the fire-A arm.-

B ist-he barrel, rigidly connected therewith.

C is the cartridge-block, being a vertically-adjustable hlock fittedagainst the breech end of the barrel, and bored to form thecaltridge-chamber a.

The block C can be elevated so that the chamber a will be clear abovethe upper face of the barrel to permit the inserti-onl of the cartridge,and it is then lowered to bring the chamber a in line with the bore ofthe barrel for the projectile.

D is the breech-block of the arm. It isl made of strong material, andsecured iu the frame of the gun ls)o as to lit iiush against the back ofthe cartridgelock.

I prefer to make itremovable inthe manuel' shown-'- that is to say,provide it with Aa flange, b, which overlaps and abut-s against thefront end of the stock at c, and with a hook-shaped recess orprojection, which permits the spring-tube and needle-case E to lock intoit in the manner clearly shown in fig. 3. In this manner a substantialbreech-block is provided ou needle breech-1oaders.

permitting the proper discharge of The spring-tube E is fitted into theframe or stocki of the gun behind the breech-block.

It contains a sliding plug, F, from which the needle G projects, and aspring, H, behind said plug for propelling it toward the cartridge.

The back end or head d of the tube E I prefer to make -longitudinallyadjustable within said tube for the purpose of regulating therebythepower of the spring, and for allowing to throw'said spring entirely outof action, by so far withdrawing the head as to prevent its compressionby the inner plug F.

The functions to be performed by the arm are,

therefore, the following: The ca irtridge-blo'ck must be elevated, as infig. 2, to permit the insertion of the cartridge; the plug F must bepushed and held back for compressing the spring and withdrawing theneedle; the cartridgeblock must then beY lowered to bring the cartridgein line with the bore ofthe barrel and, finally, theplug is released andpropelled forward bythe spring to carry the needle toward the cartridgeand explode the charge'.

From the cartridge-block C projects downwardly au arm, e, which has alug' or knob, f, at. its lower end.

This lug or knob enters an inclined slot which is provided on a slide,I.

The slide I is, by a link, g, connected with the crank h of 'atransverse shaft, J, which` hangs in the lower part of the gun.

fiis the crank-handle of the shaft J, by means. of which the same may beturned at will.

The slide I hasvprojecting pins, jj, which enter straight horizontalslots in a guide-plate, l, that projects from the bottom plate .or guardm.

The slide is moved horizontally by the turning of the crank-shaft J, andits motion serves to move the block C vertically.

A hook, a, projecting from the slide I, catches against a/lug, o, of theplug F.

When the handle t is turned so as to move the slide I backward the blockO is elevated, and at the same time the plug F is moved back so as tocompress the spring H, all parts being then in the posivtion shown infig. 2.

In this position the'triggerL catches into a notch, p, of tbe plug, andserves to retain the same.

After the cartridge has been inserted inthe block G, the shaft J isturned to move the slide forward, thereby lowering the block O to bringthe cartridge in line with the barrel.

The cartridge-block has a projecting flange or ledge, r, on top, wherebyits downward motion is absolutely defined. f

u The touch of the trigger will release the plug and produce thedischarge of the cartridge.

. The cartridges employed are preferably of such construction. thattheir shells will be ejected at the same time with the projectile, sothat separate means for ejection after firing need uotbe provided.V

Whenever the head is drawn out, as i`n iig. 3, the spring will not becompressed by theplug, and the arm is, therefore, at rest .withoutdanger of spontaneous or accident-nl discharge.

The motions for operating this gunlare very fewiirst, the crank-handleis tilrned hack; second, the cartridge inserted; third, the'crank-handle turned forward; and, nally, the trigger touched. Thebreech-block D keeps the back of the cartridgechamber properly closed,and prevents the escape of gases intothe lock.v

Having thus described my invention, -I claim as new A'and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- '1. The slide I, combined with thevertically-reciprocating cartridge-block C and with thehorizontallyreciprocating needle-head or plug F, to operate the samesimultaneously', as specified.

2. The crankshaft J, connected with the slide 1 scribed, in successivelywithdrawing, holding, and dis-1 charging the needle-plug F.

, HEINRICH BOHNER.

Wfitnesses: l

GEO. W. MABEE', ALEX. F.l ROBERTS.

